dash cams

[67newport]

who ever is using them are they worth getting, thinking about getting a front and rear & what is a good one to get? as with anything else the more i look for them the more confused i get as i am technologicaly challenged.

 

[Big_John]

I use on in every car I have. I like the Blackvue cameras and have the DR590X 1 channel in all but my truck. The truck has an older Garmin comb GPS and dash cam. These Blackvue cameras don't have all the bells and whistles.. I went through that with the first one I had and discovered I didn't use any of them. In my current Blackvues, I can see any videos with my cell phone.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DKF6V98/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I tired a couple cheap ones, but they left much to be desired. You want the camera to record and save the video if it gets hit. Most have that, but the Blackvue seemed to be the most user friendly for that. Mine are also hard wired in.

Several years ago, Mrs. Big John was involved in a minor accident involving a kid on a bike. Two kids rode out in front of her in the local village and she missed the first one, but knocked down the second one. Just a scraped elbow fortunately. The dash cam showed the whole thing... The village cop (nice guy, retired county sheriff) saw the video and said "Wow, this tells me everything I need to know". I called the insurance agent as a CYA and told them about the dash cam. We never heard another word about it. The dash cam paid for itself... that day.

Regarding rear view... That's up to you. I thought about it and decided that option wasn't something I needed, but it's not a bad idea. Some options, like the GPS are kind of nice, as they give speed and location on the video... But remember that does give YOUR speed and you might not want to share that.

A little Hank playing in this one... And before I put the turnaround in the driveway. LOL.

 

[67newport]

In my current Blackvues, I can see any videos with my cell phone.

since i do not own a smart phone or want one am i able to use them? i was going to get security cameras and they said i needed a smart phone so that was out. since i drive multiple cars am i able to transfer them to other cars?

 

[Big_John]

since i do not own a smart phone or want one am i able to use them? i was going to get security cameras and they said i needed a smart phone so that was out. since i drive multiple cars am i able to transfer them to other cars?

You can pull the SD card out and read it in about any computer that has a SD slot, although you may need an adapter (often comes with a new card anyway).

I was planning to move mine to different cars, and started out with two cameras. I got tired of that and I couldn't get my wife to switch them when she drove one of the cars. The mounts for my Blackvue cameras are glued to the windshield and all you would have to do is buy more mounts. The power comes from the cigar lighter, which drops it to 5volts, so you either want to move the same power cable or buy a few. Simple press of a button and unplug the power and the camera is in your hand.

On the other hand, my Garmin is suction cup mounted and can be moved easily. That may change... The GPS has to be on for it to work and sometimes the suction cup falls off in hot weather.

This is the Blackvue mount. The camera inserts into this and the mount is glued to the windshield. Take a look at other brands too. They may have other mounting solutions.

 

[Old Mike]

I’m undecided on the dash cam thing. I thought about getting one but I made the mistake of watching a bunch of videos on YouTube. Then I thought about bad mojo. I quit watching.

 

[300rag]

I use a Thinkware Q800 kit with a rear camera. It autosaves if there is a collision.

Here's a day and an evening shot...